HIT THE GAS This year welcomes the first ever Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) to the Festival of Speed and it’s promising to take adrenalin on two wheels to a whole new level W o r d s GAVI N B R ET T
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With a receipt for brandy given to the players back in 1702, Goodwood’s legendary cricket ground can support its claim to be the second oldest in England. It’s near enough a priceless antique, lovingly tended to day-in, day-out by expert groundskeepers who brave all weathers to protect its legacy. But for a few days this summer, those groundskeepers will be off nervously swigging stiff drinks, looking the other way and praying hard. That’s because this year’s Festival of Speed welcomes the first ever Goodwood Action Sports event, presented by SEAT and taking place right on top of that famous outfield, which will be transformed into a play pen for the planet’s finest two-wheeled action sportsmen, including BMX riders and freestyle motocross (FMX) performers. ‘With both the main festival and the Junior Festival of Speed, we’ve always done a lot for adults and young children,’ explains Goodwood’s Gary Axon. ‘For 2011 we wanted to pull out all the stops for teenagers, too, which is what led us to create GAS.’ GAS runs throughout the festival, with an hour-long event each morning and afternoon. Obstacles, jumps, rails and ramps will host harebrained action as pro riders attempt to out-trick one
‘We’ll have the very best guys from all the events, BMX, FMX etc, in mid-air at the same time another without breaking their necks. The daily finale will be a breathtaking (and as yet unproven) spectacle: ‘We’ll have the very best guys from all the events in mid-air at the same time,’ says Axon. ‘It’ll be a bit like The Red Arrows… on acid.’ With support from Red Bull, Goodwood is delivering a stellar cast of riders to ensure GAS’s inaugural year is a success. Among them, Australian FMX rider, daredevil and record-breaker Robbie Maddison will be throttling his bike into airborne ballet across giant jumps, along with Brit FMX star, Jamie Squibb. YouTube sensation and Scottish 32 / goodwood the season
street trials pro mountain bike rider Danny MacAskill { fig.1} promises to rewrite the rules of pedal-powered stunts; also in BMX, British brothers Kye and Leo Forte are aiming to show why grown men really can ride tiny bikes, while Goodwood favourite and world champion trials rider Dougie Lampkin returns to defy gravity, and belief, clambering up, down, under and over obstacles that might otherwise seem impossible. Alongside all the extreme action happening outside, there’s also the SEAT Clubhouse at GAS, with console gaming, DJs and more, as well as the opportunity for teenagers (even those without a licence) to get behind the wheel of a SEAT Ibiza under supervision at the Goodwood racecourse. GAS looks set to deliver the ultimate in extreme two-wheel action for the FoS crowds. Still, you can’t help but wonder: does the owner of this glorious estate, the Duke of Richmond, really know the full extent of what’s being done to his beloved cricket pitch this year? GAS is at the Goodwood Cricket Ground during the FoS, 30 June to 3 July. Tickets for those aged 13 to 18 are half price; goodwood.co.uk Gavin Brett is a men’s magazine journalist who specialises in motoring and technology